CYPRUS: Interweaving extroversion with aspiration

CYPRUS: Interweaving extroversion with aspiration

Overview

Following the exit from the EU-IMF bailout programme in 2016, Cyprus has made significant progress towards improving its business environment, restoring the competitiveness of its economy and attracting foreign investment. Cyprus’ GDP is growing twice as fast as EU’s (3,7% against 1,9%, The Economist’s forecast for 2018). The country has put forward a strategy to become an investment hub in the eastern Mediterranean, an objective favoured by its strategic location, low taxation and the energy discoveries in the Levantine basin.

Nevertheless, the Cypriot banking system is still facing a high ratio of non-performing loans, while the energy exploration process in the region has recently triggered geopolitical tension, in relation to Turkey’s claims. A major challenge forward is also Brexit and its implications with regards to the UK-EU relations. Cyprus is a member of both the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations, while significant Cypriot entrepreneurs are based in London and the island maintains a key role for the British and the EU policy in the broader Middle East region.

It is against this setting that The Economist Events have pleasure in staging their 3rd annual event, entitled “CYPRUS: Interweaving extroversion with aspiration”, at the London Stock Exchange.

Speakers

John Peet

Political and Brexit editor, The Economist

John Peet

Political and Brexit editor, The Economist

Europe editor, The Economist, since September 2003 and currently political and Brexit editor. Responsible for coverage of all of Europe, including the European Union, Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

He has written for The Economist surveys of management consulting, health care, the American South, Spain, the European Union, European Monetary Union, Equity Markets, E-Commerce, the Netherlands, Water, Ireland, Italy, the Future of Europe, Turkey, France and Brexit. In 2014 he co-authored a book, Unhappy Union: how the euro crisis - and Europe - can be fixed.

He has an MA in economics from Cambridge University.

Harris Georgiades

Minister of finance, Cyprus

Harris Georgiades

Minister of finance, Cyprus

Harris Georgiades was born in 1972 in Nicosia. He was appointed as minister of finance of the Republic of Cyprus on April 3rd 2013 and was reappointed on March 1st 2018.

He had the leading role in the implementation and successful conclusion of the reform and consolidation programme for the Cyprus economy after the financial crisis of 2012-13. He participates in the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN. He was elected chairman of the board of governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the period 2014-15 and is a member of the board of governors of the International Monetary Fund, the European Investment Bank and the European Stability Mechanism.

He was selected by POLITICO as one of the 28 most-influential Europeans for 2016. He is a member of the Young Leaders for Europe community of the World Economic Forum.

Prior to his appointment as minister he was a member of the House of Representatives with the Democratic Rally Party (2011-13). He also served as press spokesman and as member of the Executive of the Democratic Rally. In parallel, he managed a family-owned hotel business (1999-2013).

He studied international relations and economics (BA, MA, 1992-96) at the University of Reading, UK and was a post-graduate researcher at the Institute of European and International Studies, University of Reading (1996-98). He graduated from the English School, Nicosia (1983-1990) and served his military service in the Cyprus National Guard as a non-commissioned officer of the Artillery.

He is married to Eva Georgiades, who works as a schools-councilor, and they have a young daughter.

Marios Andreou

Marios Andreou is the partner in charge of tax advisory in Cyprus and is a member of the management board of PwC Cyprus heading international markets.

Marios has wide experience in international tax issues, including tax structuring, PE and M&A transactions, double tax treaty application and EU tax law. His clients include both local and international corporations including the private structures of High Net Worth individuals.

Marios provides extensive support, advising the government on a number of tax policy matters especially in relation to OECD and EU initiatives.

He is the president of the Cyprus/ India business association under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the taxation committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Marios is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is a graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science (BSc (Econ) Econometrics and Mathematical Economics).

Christodoulos Angastiniotis

President, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Christodoulos Angastiniotis

President, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Christodoulos E. Angastiniotis studied business management & management sciences in the UK and holds a postgraduate degree MSc in management from Cranfield University.

He is the CEO and managing director of the VitaTrace Nutrition Ltd Group which is a veterinary nutritional and pharmaceutical company with operations in Cyprus and internationally. The company has received over the years export awards, quality awards and corporate social responsibility awards. Mr Angastiniotis is an exceptionally active businessman with very significant social contribution.

Christodoulos E. Angastiniotis serves or has served as below:
President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2017-20), president of the Cyprus Investment Promotion
Agency (CIPA) (2011-19), vice-president of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2011-17), president of the Nicosia
Tourist Development (2005-14), president of the Pancyprian Association of Veterinary Medicines (2007-13), president of the
Nicosia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2005-11), founder, president and honourary president of the Cyprus-Egypt Business
Association, member of the board of the Institute of Technology Cyprus, member of the board of the Welfare of Prisoners and member of the board of the Human Resources Development Authority

In 2010 he was awarded by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Standard Authority the highest quality award for his exceptional contribution in upgrading quality in Cyprus.

He has participated in many economic, financial and business promotion seminars abroad, where he has presented a number of papers on the role of Cyprus as a regional, financial and commercial centre.

Kenneth Clarke

Father of the House of Commons

Kenneth Clarke

Father of the House of Commons

Kenneth Clarke read law at Gonville & Caius College Cambridge. He was called to the Bar in 1963 and became a QC in 1980.

He has been the member of parliament for Rushcliffe since 1970.

He held several ministerial offices in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major - as secretary of state for health, secretary of state for education and science and home secretary. From May 1993 until the general election in May 1997 Mr Clarke was chancellor of the Exchequer.

Following the election Mr Clarke returned to the Conservative back benches and took on various senior non-executive business appointments. He was appointed as the chairman of David Cameron’s Democracy Task Force and became shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills in January 2009.

Following the general election in 2010 Kenneth Clarke returned to the cabinet in the coalition government as Lord Chancellor and secretary of state for justice. In 2012 until July 2014 he served as minister without portfolio, working to develop key trade relationships on the prime minister’s behalf, particularly the US/EU negotiations. He had an advisory brief on the economy and also sat on the National Security Council.

He returned to the back benches in July 2014, when he was appointed a Companion of Honour. As the member of the House of Commons with the longest continuous service he is currently the Father of the House.

Away from the political sphere, he is well known for his love and knowledge of jazz. He is also an ardent birdwatcher and a keen follower of cricket, football and Formula 1 motor racing.

Anthony De Lannoy

Executive director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Anthony De Lannoy

Executive director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Mr De Lannoy joined the executive board of the IMF in November 2016. As one of the 24 executive directors he represents Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Romania, and Ukraine.

Before joining the executive board, Mr De Lannoy worked for the minister of finance in Belgium. As deputy director economic and financial policy he led a team of advisers with expertise in public finances, the financial sector, and international economic policy. He was also a member of the strategic committee of the Belgian Debt Agency, and a rapporteur in the High Level Expert Group on the Future of the Belgian Financial Sector.

Between October 2009 and April 2014, Mr De Lannoy was appointed as an adviser to the executive director at the IMF. Before going to the IMF, he held the position of international economic and financial policy adviser to the Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of finance (2006-09) and as an adviser in the International Cooperation and Financial Stability Department at the National Bank of Belgium (2004-06). He began his career working for the Belgian NGO Trias as microfinance adviser in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2003-04) and as a financial and country risk analyst in the International Risk Analysis Department at KBC Bank (2000-03).

Mr De Lannoy holds a master’s degree in international business economics from the KU Leuven and a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Antwerp.

Turgay Deniz

President, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce

Turgay Deniz

President, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce

Turgay Deniz was born in 1959 in Nicosia. He was student at Köşklüçiftlik Primary School (Şehit Tuncer Primary School) and completed his secondary school and high school education at English College (Türk Maarif Koleji).

In 1980, he completed his bachelor degree at the Faculty of Commercial Sciences at Istanbul Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (Marmara University). M.Kemal Deniz has been working as chairman of the board of directors of Deniz Plaza Company after he finished his military service.

Since 1986, he has been a member of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and member of the board of directors for various periods. Between 1998-2001 he was president of the Youth Power Sports Club.

He speaks fluent English.

He is married and father of two boys.

Euripides L. Evriviades

High commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Euripides L. Evriviades

High commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Euripides L Evriviades has been high commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of November 4th 2013. Before assuming this post, he was deputy permanent secretary/ political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Jan., 2012–Nov., 2013). Prior, he served as ambassador / permanent representative to the Council of Europe (Nov., 2008-Jan., 2012), having also chaired its Rapporteur Group on External Relations (2011).

Mr Evriviades also served as ambassador to the United States of America and non-resident high commissioner to Canada (2003-06). He also served as ambassador to the Netherlands (2000-03) and to Israel (1997-2000). Earlier in his career, he held positions at the Cyprus Consulate General and United Nations in New York (1976-81); and in embassies in Bonn, Germany (1986-88); Moscow, USSR/Russia (1988-93); and Tripoli, Libya (1995).

On January 23rd 2017 Mr Evriviades was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. On April 20th 2015, he was voted by his peers in London as Diplomat of Year from Europe, an award of The Diplomat Magazine (est. 1947). On 15 January 2006, he received in Washington, DC, the King Legacy Award for International Service, bestowed upon him by the Committee on the International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., A Man for All Nations.

High Commissioner Evriviades holds a master's degree in public administration (MPA-policy area of concentration: international affairs and security) from the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1984) which he attended as a Fulbright fellow and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of New Hampshire, Durham USA.

He has an avid interest in the arts, especially in music, as well as in antiquities, cartography and motorcycling.

Stelios Himonas

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus

Stelios Himonas

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus

Stelios D. Himonas was born in Athens, Greece, on May 2nd 1962. He received the BE, MS and PhD degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA in 1985, 1986 and 1989, respectively, all in electrical engineering. From 1989 until 1997 he was an associate professor at the department of electrical engineering at the New York Institute of Technology, USA. Also, from 1994 until 1997, he was collaborating with the Multimedia Communications Research Group of Bellcore’s Applied Research Division in Morristown, New Jersey, USA.

Dr Himonas has published numerous research papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings in the fields of detection and multimedia communications. Also, during the period from 1989 until 1997 he served as a reviewer of research papers submitted for publication to transactions of the IEEE and proceedings of the IEE, as well as to various conferences in the field of communications.

Currently he is the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus. Prior to this position he was the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order in Cyprus and the director of the department of electronic communications. In addition, as from October 2012, he is the digital champion of Cyprus, appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus.

Also during the period from 2000 to 2003, he served on the board of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority. From 2006 until 2013, he held chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions in European electronic communications committees.

Dr Himonas is a member of the Sigma Xi and Eta Kappa Nu honor societies and the New York Academy of Sciences. He is listed in the Who is Who in the World, the Who is Who Among Human Services Professionals, the Who is Who in the East and the Who is Who in American Education.

Demetra Kalogerou

Chairwoman, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

Demetra Kalogerou

Chairwoman, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

Demetra Kalogerou (BSc, MSc, MPhil) is the chairwoman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the public independent supervisory authority responsible for the overall supervision of the securities market in Cyprus.

Also, as of November 2012, she is a member of the Cyprus Public Audit Oversight Board, which has been established for the oversight of auditors and audit firms. Furthermore, from September 2013 to June 2014 Mrs Kalogerou served as member of the then tripartite Resolution Authority together with the minister of finance and the governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus.

Previously she held the position of a senior officer of the Cyprus Stock Exchange and overall she has more than 15 years’ experience in the financial sector.

James Ker-Lindsay

Visiting professor, London School of Economics

James Ker-Lindsay

Visiting professor, London School of Economics

James Ker-Lindsay is a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was previously Eurobank senior research fellow on the politics of south-east Europe, and is a research associate at the Centre for International Studies in the department of politics and international relations, Oxford University.

His research is focused on conflict, peace and security in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as on European Union Enlargement, and issues of secession and recognition in international politics. He has published extensively on Cyprus and its politics. His books include The Cyprus Problem: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press), An Island in Europe: The EU and the Transformation of Cyprus (I.B. Tauris, co-edited with Hubert Faustmann and Fiona Mullen), The Government and Politics of Cyprus (Peter Lang, co-edited with Hubert Faustmann), EU Accession and UN Peacemaking in Cyprus (Palgrave Macmillan), and The Work of the UN in Cyprus: Promoting Peace and Development (Palgrave Macmillan, co-edited with Oliver Richmond).

In addition to his academic work, he is a regular media commentator on regional affairs and was the Economist Intelligence Unit correspondent for Cyprus (2001-06). He has also served as an adviser to governments and international organisations, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

Kyriacos Kokkinos

Board member, Invest Cyprus

Kyriacos Kokkinos

Board member, Invest Cyprus

Kyriacos Kokkinos is the executive director for digital consulting and business transformation services at Pricewaterhousecoopers PwC. He has long served in IBM Europe and in his most recent role he was leading the European consultative team in cognitive computing and digital transformation for communications sector. Throughout his career, he served in several managerial and executive positions across different European geographies. His professional domain is digital transformation consulting and cognitive computing (artificial intelligence).

He currently serves at the board of directors of several organizations, including the BoDs of CIPA, and vice-chairman of the Research Promotion Foundation RPF (IPE). He also served at various boards including Cyprus Tourism Organization CTO and Cyprus Ports Authority.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for professional excellence, such as: Business Leader of the Year 2016 Award by Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry CCCI and Quality Leader Award for 2015 by Cyprus Quality Association.

He holds an executive MBA from Henley Management College (UK) and BScEE & MscEE (Electr. Engineering) from NJIT, USA.

Louis Loizou

Chairman, Hellenic Bankers Association, UK

Louis Loizou

Chairman, Hellenic Bankers Association, UK

Louis Loizou is a partner at the London-based investment banking advisory firm Loizou & Co and the multi-family office GC Privé. Prior to this, Louis worked for Citigroup, Barclays Capital and Kleinwort Benson. He has been adviser to mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital raising transactions.

Louis is the chairman of the Hellenic Bankers Association – UK and a “Freeman” of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers and the City of London. Additionally, he was a visiting lecturer at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

He holds a BSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from LSE and an MSc in Mathematical Finance from Christ Church College, University of Oxford.

Charles Meaby

General manager, DP World Limassol

Charles Meaby

General manager, DP World Limassol

First arriving in Limassol during the Summer of 2016 Charles Meaby holds the leadership role as general manager for DP World Limassol. Charles has held various senior management and director roles in the ports and terminals industry, covering locations in the UK, Bahamas, South Africa and now Cyprus.

Charles is a graduate in engineering from Oxford Brookes University and is currently undertaking the DP World Institute / Harvard leadership development, Charles is a member of the MedCruise General Assembly.

DP World Limassol holds the 25 year Concession Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus for the management and operations of Limassol Multipurpose Port. DP World’s vision to lead the future of world trade, purpose to add value, think ahead and build a legacy and the core values: courage, respect, intelligence, pride.

Yiannis Misirlis

Founding director, Imperio Group

Yiannis Misirlis

Founding director, Imperio Group

Yiannis Misirlis is the founding director of the Imperio Group, which was created to design and develop real estate developments that focuse on long-term value and contemporary lifestyle solutions.

Yiannis holds a BSc in civil engineering, an MSc in information technology from University College London (UCL), and an international MBA from Instituto de Empresa (IE) in Madrid.

Yiannis has aligned Imperio’s corporate mission and vision with his own personal life and values. As a man who loves his hometown of Limassol and the sea, and swims all year round, he recognises the beauty of the landscape and designs properties that capitalise on their surroundings. This holistic approach to real estate has made Yiannis a regular guest speaker, both locally and overseas, valued for his broad and deep insights into the Cyprus property market. His opinions and assessments have been published in the Financial Times, the Hong Kong Times, Vedomosti Moscow, Gulf News and Shanghai Times.

Under Yiannis’ leadership, Imperio’s investments have expanded as far as the UK and central Europe. As an entrepreneur, Yiannis is heavily involved with organisations such as the Land and Building Developers Association of Cyprus (LBDA) where he currently serves as deputy-chairman of the board. He also sits on the board of directors of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) and is a member of Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK).

In addition to being voted “Businessman of the Year 2010” by Politis newspaper, he was named “Manager of the Year 2017” by InBusiness magazine.

Averof Neofytou

Chairman, House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs

Averof Neofytou

Chairman, House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs

Averof Neofytou was born in Argaka, in the District of Paphos, on 31/7/1961. After completing his secondary education at the Gymnasium of Polis Chrysochou, he studied Economics and Accountancy at N.Y.I.T. University, in Long Island, New York. He was district secretary and afterwards vice-president of the Democratic Rally Youth NEDISY. In 1991 was elected as mayor of Polis Chrysochou, a post which he held until 1996 when he was elected DISY MP for Paphos. He served as a member of the Executive Secretariat of the Cyprus Union of Municipalities and president of the Coordinating Committee of the Municipality and Communities of the Chrysochou Area, honorary secretary of the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of the Board of "Evagoras" Sports Club of Paphos, member of the Board and executive of the Cyprus Football Federation and president of the Anti-Cancer Society of the Chrysochou Area. He was appointed minister of Communications and Works on 25 August 1999. He served the Ministry until the 28th of February 2003.

On 25 May 2003 was elected deputy president of the Democratic Rally. On May 2006 and May 2011 was re-elected as member of the House of Representatives. On May 2013 he was elected as the new president of the party, following the election of Mr Nicos Anastasiades to the Presidency of the Republic.

He served as chairman of the Parliamentary committee on Foreign and European Affairs between until 2016 and following his re-election in parliament in May 2016 he is currently serving as the chairman of the Economics and Budget Committee.

He is married to Maria Selipa and has one son, Pericles.

Mark O’Neil

President, Columbia Shipmanagement

Mark O’Neil

A lawyer by profession, Mark headed up international law firm Reed Smith LLP's German Shipping Team, and also co-lead the firm's Offshore Department. His clients included ship owners, charterers, insurers, management companies, banks, oil companies and offshore contractors worldwide with a particular focus on the German, Scandinavian, Greek, Dutch, South American and Cypriot markets. Mark has been a senior partner in Reed Smith LLP and (before that) Stephenson Harwood LLP for over 17 years.

With over 25 years of experience in shipping and offshore, Mark has hosted and/or chaired numerous seminars and conferences internationally.

George Prevelakis

Professor of geopolitics, Paris I

George Prevelakis

Professor of geopolitics, Paris I

George Prevelakis is professor of geopolitics at the Sorbonne (Paris 1). He specialises in European, Balkan and eastern Mediterranean geopolitics, in diasporas and in physical planning.

After leaving Greece in 1984, he has occupied teaching and research positions in Paris, Baltimore, Boston and London. During the academic years 2003-05 he served as the Constantine Karamanlis chair in Hellenic and south-eastern European studies at the Fletcher School and during the period 2013-15 as the Greek ambassador at the OECD.

Peter Sanfey

Regional economist for southeast Europe and Greece, EBRD

Peter Sanfey

Regional economist for southeast Europe and Greece, EBRD

Peter Sanfey is deputy director for country economics and policy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. Among other duties, he is responsible for the analysis of economic developments and reforms in south-eastern Europe and he engages in research and publications on a range of topics covering the whole transition region. He is an editor of the biannual EBRD publication Regional Economic Prospects and of the country pages in the annual EBRD Transition Report. He is also a senior visiting fellow within the European Institute at the London School of Economics.

Dr Sanfey graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1985 with a BA (first class honours) in economics, and received his PhD in economics from Yale University in 1992. He was a lecturer in economics at the University of Kent at Canterbury from 1992-97, teaching courses mainly in the fields of macroeconomics and labour economics, before joining the EBRD in October 1997.

Dr Sanfey has published widely in international refereed journals on a variety of topics, mostly on transition, macroeconomics and labour economics. He is the co-author (with Christopher Cviić) of a book entitled In Search of the Balkan Recovery: the Political and Economic Re-emergence of South-Eastern Europe, published in 2010 by C. Hurst & Co. publishers (UK) and Oxford University Press (US). His recent book on this region, Economic and Policy Foundations for Growth in South East Europe, co-authored with Adam Bennett, Russell Kincaid and Max Watson, was published in 2015 by Palgrave MacMillan.

Harry Tzimitras

Dr Harry Tzimitras is the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo - PRIO Cyprus Centre. In this capacity, he coordinates research and dialogue activities on the search for a political settlement to the island’s division. He is also senior fellow of the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. He is associate professor of international law and international relations, specializing in energy security & geopolitics, the law of the sea, foreign policy, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Previously, he held positions at Istanbul Bilgi University, Koç University, the University of Cambridge and the Institute of International Relations, Athens. His recent publications include A New Initiative for Peace Talks in Cyprus (with A. Gurel), OSCE Yearbook 2017; Energy Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Case of Cyprus (with A. Gurel) in Jalilvand & Westphal (eds.) Changing Dynamics of Energy: Political and Economic Challenges for the MENA-Region, FES & SWP, Routledge 2017; The Need for Realism: Solving the Cyprus Problem through Linkage Politics (with M. Hatay), Brookings Institution, 2016; Cyprus Settlement Negotiations: From Euphoria to Reality (with A. Gurel) Turkish Policy Quarterly 15 (1), 2016; Hydrocarbon Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Case for Pragmatism (in Ellinas & Roberts), Atlantic Council, 2016; Some Preliminary Remarks about the Direction of Turkey-Russia Relations and their Implications for the Cyprus Problem (with A. Gurel), University of St.Gallen, 18 Euxeinos 2015; Gas Can Become the New Lost Opportunity (with A. Gurel) in J. Kerr Lindsay (ed.) Resolving Cyprus: New Approaches to Conflict Resolution, Tauris, 2014.

Andreas Yiasemides

Andreas Yiasemides is a partner at PwC and in charge of the fund services of the organisation.

On his graduation from the University of Manchester with a first class degree in Economics, he joined PwC in 1999 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA). He continued his career with the Bank of Cyprus, holding various positions including heading the Custody and Trusts Unit. He then moved on to an organisation of professional services where he set up and led the Fund Services Unit.

He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Cyprus and of the Central Bank of Cyprus and is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Fund Association (CIFA). He is also a member of the Cyprus National Advisory Council of the Charter Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).

Agenda

Registration and refreshments

Welcome remarks by the conference chairman

THE ECONOMIST'S FORECAST ON EUROPE AND EAST MEDITERRANEAN

John Peet

Political and Brexit editor, The Economist

John Peet

Political and Brexit editor, The Economist

Europe editor, The Economist, since September 2003 and currently political and Brexit editor. Responsible for coverage of all of Europe, including the European Union, Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

He has written for The Economist surveys of management consulting, health care, the American South, Spain, the European Union, European Monetary Union, Equity Markets, E-Commerce, the Netherlands, Water, Ireland, Italy, the Future of Europe, Turkey, France and Brexit. In 2014 he co-authored a book, Unhappy Union: how the euro crisis - and Europe - can be fixed.

He has an MA in economics from Cambridge University.

Euripides L. Evriviades

High commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Euripides L. Evriviades

High commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Euripides L Evriviades has been high commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of November 4th 2013. Before assuming this post, he was deputy permanent secretary/ political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Jan., 2012–Nov., 2013). Prior, he served as ambassador / permanent representative to the Council of Europe (Nov., 2008-Jan., 2012), having also chaired its Rapporteur Group on External Relations (2011).

Mr Evriviades also served as ambassador to the United States of America and non-resident high commissioner to Canada (2003-06). He also served as ambassador to the Netherlands (2000-03) and to Israel (1997-2000). Earlier in his career, he held positions at the Cyprus Consulate General and United Nations in New York (1976-81); and in embassies in Bonn, Germany (1986-88); Moscow, USSR/Russia (1988-93); and Tripoli, Libya (1995).

On January 23rd 2017 Mr Evriviades was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. On April 20th 2015, he was voted by his peers in London as Diplomat of Year from Europe, an award of The Diplomat Magazine (est. 1947). On 15 January 2006, he received in Washington, DC, the King Legacy Award for International Service, bestowed upon him by the Committee on the International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., A Man for All Nations.

High Commissioner Evriviades holds a master's degree in public administration (MPA-policy area of concentration: international affairs and security) from the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1984) which he attended as a Fulbright fellow and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of New Hampshire, Durham USA.

He has an avid interest in the arts, especially in music, as well as in antiquities, cartography and motorcycling.

9:10 AM

EUROPE'S ECONOMY: STABILISING GROWTH, TACKLING NEW CHALLENGES

Where does Cyprus stand?

Harris Georgiades

Minister of finance, Cyprus

Harris Georgiades

Minister of finance, Cyprus

Harris Georgiades was born in 1972 in Nicosia. He was appointed as minister of finance of the Republic of Cyprus on April 3rd 2013 and was reappointed on March 1st 2018.

He had the leading role in the implementation and successful conclusion of the reform and consolidation programme for the Cyprus economy after the financial crisis of 2012-13. He participates in the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN. He was elected chairman of the board of governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the period 2014-15 and is a member of the board of governors of the International Monetary Fund, the European Investment Bank and the European Stability Mechanism.

He was selected by POLITICO as one of the 28 most-influential Europeans for 2016. He is a member of the Young Leaders for Europe community of the World Economic Forum.

Prior to his appointment as minister he was a member of the House of Representatives with the Democratic Rally Party (2011-13). He also served as press spokesman and as member of the Executive of the Democratic Rally. In parallel, he managed a family-owned hotel business (1999-2013).

He studied international relations and economics (BA, MA, 1992-96) at the University of Reading, UK and was a post-graduate researcher at the Institute of European and International Studies, University of Reading (1996-98). He graduated from the English School, Nicosia (1983-1990) and served his military service in the Cyprus National Guard as a non-commissioned officer of the Artillery.

He is married to Eva Georgiades, who works as a schools-councilor, and they have a young daughter.

9:20 AM

Discussion

9:40 AM

ENVISASING RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND THE EU A YEAR FROM NOW

▪ Brexit: What are the possible consequences for the Mediterranean region and how will business in Cyprus be affected?
▪ Eurozone is doing better: are there any gains for the middle class and the youth?

Kenneth Clarke

Father of the House of Commons

Kenneth Clarke

Father of the House of Commons

Kenneth Clarke read law at Gonville & Caius College Cambridge. He was called to the Bar in 1963 and became a QC in 1980.

He has been the member of parliament for Rushcliffe since 1970.

He held several ministerial offices in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major - as secretary of state for health, secretary of state for education and science and home secretary. From May 1993 until the general election in May 1997 Mr Clarke was chancellor of the Exchequer.

Following the election Mr Clarke returned to the Conservative back benches and took on various senior non-executive business appointments. He was appointed as the chairman of David Cameron’s Democracy Task Force and became shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills in January 2009.

Following the general election in 2010 Kenneth Clarke returned to the cabinet in the coalition government as Lord Chancellor and secretary of state for justice. In 2012 until July 2014 he served as minister without portfolio, working to develop key trade relationships on the prime minister’s behalf, particularly the US/EU negotiations. He had an advisory brief on the economy and also sat on the National Security Council.

He returned to the back benches in July 2014, when he was appointed a Companion of Honour. As the member of the House of Commons with the longest continuous service he is currently the Father of the House.

Away from the political sphere, he is well known for his love and knowledge of jazz. He is also an ardent birdwatcher and a keen follower of cricket, football and Formula 1 motor racing.

Anthony De Lannoy

Executive director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Anthony De Lannoy

Executive director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Mr De Lannoy joined the executive board of the IMF in November 2016. As one of the 24 executive directors he represents Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Romania, and Ukraine.

Before joining the executive board, Mr De Lannoy worked for the minister of finance in Belgium. As deputy director economic and financial policy he led a team of advisers with expertise in public finances, the financial sector, and international economic policy. He was also a member of the strategic committee of the Belgian Debt Agency, and a rapporteur in the High Level Expert Group on the Future of the Belgian Financial Sector.

Between October 2009 and April 2014, Mr De Lannoy was appointed as an adviser to the executive director at the IMF. Before going to the IMF, he held the position of international economic and financial policy adviser to the Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of finance (2006-09) and as an adviser in the International Cooperation and Financial Stability Department at the National Bank of Belgium (2004-06). He began his career working for the Belgian NGO Trias as microfinance adviser in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2003-04) and as a financial and country risk analyst in the International Risk Analysis Department at KBC Bank (2000-03).

Mr De Lannoy holds a master’s degree in international business economics from the KU Leuven and a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Antwerp.

Marios Andreou

Marios Andreou is the partner in charge of tax advisory in Cyprus and is a member of the management board of PwC Cyprus heading international markets.

Marios has wide experience in international tax issues, including tax structuring, PE and M&A transactions, double tax treaty application and EU tax law. His clients include both local and international corporations including the private structures of High Net Worth individuals.

Marios provides extensive support, advising the government on a number of tax policy matters especially in relation to OECD and EU initiatives.

He is the president of the Cyprus/ India business association under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the taxation committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Marios is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is a graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science (BSc (Econ) Econometrics and Mathematical Economics).

10:00 AM

Discussion

10:20 AM

THE FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE IN EUROPE

▪ The Cypriot banking sector: Return to regularity?

Peter Sanfey

Regional economist for southeast Europe and Greece, EBRD

Peter Sanfey

Regional economist for southeast Europe and Greece, EBRD

Peter Sanfey is deputy director for country economics and policy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. Among other duties, he is responsible for the analysis of economic developments and reforms in south-eastern Europe and he engages in research and publications on a range of topics covering the whole transition region. He is an editor of the biannual EBRD publication Regional Economic Prospects and of the country pages in the annual EBRD Transition Report. He is also a senior visiting fellow within the European Institute at the London School of Economics.

Dr Sanfey graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1985 with a BA (first class honours) in economics, and received his PhD in economics from Yale University in 1992. He was a lecturer in economics at the University of Kent at Canterbury from 1992-97, teaching courses mainly in the fields of macroeconomics and labour economics, before joining the EBRD in October 1997.

Dr Sanfey has published widely in international refereed journals on a variety of topics, mostly on transition, macroeconomics and labour economics. He is the co-author (with Christopher Cviić) of a book entitled In Search of the Balkan Recovery: the Political and Economic Re-emergence of South-Eastern Europe, published in 2010 by C. Hurst & Co. publishers (UK) and Oxford University Press (US). His recent book on this region, Economic and Policy Foundations for Growth in South East Europe, co-authored with Adam Bennett, Russell Kincaid and Max Watson, was published in 2015 by Palgrave MacMillan.

Andreas Yiasemides

Andreas Yiasemides is a partner at PwC and in charge of the fund services of the organisation.

On his graduation from the University of Manchester with a first class degree in Economics, he joined PwC in 1999 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA). He continued his career with the Bank of Cyprus, holding various positions including heading the Custody and Trusts Unit. He then moved on to an organisation of professional services where he set up and led the Fund Services Unit.

He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Cyprus and of the Central Bank of Cyprus and is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Fund Association (CIFA). He is also a member of the Cyprus National Advisory Council of the Charter Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).

Demetra Kalogerou

Chairwoman, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

Demetra Kalogerou

Chairwoman, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission

Demetra Kalogerou (BSc, MSc, MPhil) is the chairwoman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the public independent supervisory authority responsible for the overall supervision of the securities market in Cyprus.

Also, as of November 2012, she is a member of the Cyprus Public Audit Oversight Board, which has been established for the oversight of auditors and audit firms. Furthermore, from September 2013 to June 2014 Mrs Kalogerou served as member of the then tripartite Resolution Authority together with the minister of finance and the governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus.

Previously she held the position of a senior officer of the Cyprus Stock Exchange and overall she has more than 15 years’ experience in the financial sector.

Kyriacos Kokkinos

Board member, Invest Cyprus

Kyriacos Kokkinos

Board member, Invest Cyprus

Kyriacos Kokkinos is the executive director for digital consulting and business transformation services at Pricewaterhousecoopers PwC. He has long served in IBM Europe and in his most recent role he was leading the European consultative team in cognitive computing and digital transformation for communications sector. Throughout his career, he served in several managerial and executive positions across different European geographies. His professional domain is digital transformation consulting and cognitive computing (artificial intelligence).

He currently serves at the board of directors of several organizations, including the BoDs of CIPA, and vice-chairman of the Research Promotion Foundation RPF (IPE). He also served at various boards including Cyprus Tourism Organization CTO and Cyprus Ports Authority.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for professional excellence, such as: Business Leader of the Year 2016 Award by Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry CCCI and Quality Leader Award for 2015 by Cyprus Quality Association.

He holds an executive MBA from Henley Management College (UK) and BScEE & MscEE (Electr. Engineering) from NJIT, USA.

Louis Loizou

Chairman, Hellenic Bankers Association, UK

Louis Loizou

Chairman, Hellenic Bankers Association, UK

Louis Loizou is a partner at the London-based investment banking advisory firm Loizou & Co and the multi-family office GC Privé. Prior to this, Louis worked for Citigroup, Barclays Capital and Kleinwort Benson. He has been adviser to mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital raising transactions.

Louis is the chairman of the Hellenic Bankers Association – UK and a “Freeman” of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers and the City of London. Additionally, he was a visiting lecturer at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

He holds a BSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from LSE and an MSc in Mathematical Finance from Christ Church College, University of Oxford.

11:50 AM

Discussion

12:10 PM

TURNING CYPRUS INTO A THRIVING BUSINESS HUB II

Large scale projects and public strategies: Ready for an investment boom?

Mark O’Neil

President, Columbia Shipmanagement

Mark O’Neil

A lawyer by profession, Mark headed up international law firm Reed Smith LLP's German Shipping Team, and also co-lead the firm's Offshore Department. His clients included ship owners, charterers, insurers, management companies, banks, oil companies and offshore contractors worldwide with a particular focus on the German, Scandinavian, Greek, Dutch, South American and Cypriot markets. Mark has been a senior partner in Reed Smith LLP and (before that) Stephenson Harwood LLP for over 17 years.

With over 25 years of experience in shipping and offshore, Mark has hosted and/or chaired numerous seminars and conferences internationally.

Yiannis Misirlis

Founding director, Imperio Group

Yiannis Misirlis

Founding director, Imperio Group

Yiannis Misirlis is the founding director of the Imperio Group, which was created to design and develop real estate developments that focuse on long-term value and contemporary lifestyle solutions.

Yiannis holds a BSc in civil engineering, an MSc in information technology from University College London (UCL), and an international MBA from Instituto de Empresa (IE) in Madrid.

Yiannis has aligned Imperio’s corporate mission and vision with his own personal life and values. As a man who loves his hometown of Limassol and the sea, and swims all year round, he recognises the beauty of the landscape and designs properties that capitalise on their surroundings. This holistic approach to real estate has made Yiannis a regular guest speaker, both locally and overseas, valued for his broad and deep insights into the Cyprus property market. His opinions and assessments have been published in the Financial Times, the Hong Kong Times, Vedomosti Moscow, Gulf News and Shanghai Times.

Under Yiannis’ leadership, Imperio’s investments have expanded as far as the UK and central Europe. As an entrepreneur, Yiannis is heavily involved with organisations such as the Land and Building Developers Association of Cyprus (LBDA) where he currently serves as deputy-chairman of the board. He also sits on the board of directors of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) and is a member of Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK).

In addition to being voted “Businessman of the Year 2010” by Politis newspaper, he was named “Manager of the Year 2017” by InBusiness magazine.

Charles Meaby

General manager, DP World Limassol

Charles Meaby

General manager, DP World Limassol

First arriving in Limassol during the Summer of 2016 Charles Meaby holds the leadership role as general manager for DP World Limassol. Charles has held various senior management and director roles in the ports and terminals industry, covering locations in the UK, Bahamas, South Africa and now Cyprus.

Charles is a graduate in engineering from Oxford Brookes University and is currently undertaking the DP World Institute / Harvard leadership development, Charles is a member of the MedCruise General Assembly.

DP World Limassol holds the 25 year Concession Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus for the management and operations of Limassol Multipurpose Port. DP World’s vision to lead the future of world trade, purpose to add value, think ahead and build a legacy and the core values: courage, respect, intelligence, pride.

12:40 PM

Discussion

1:00 PM

EAST MEDITERRANEAN'S HYDROCARBONS

▪ The exploration process and the energy security issue
▪ Are geopolitical tensions in the region going to escalate?

Averof Neofytou

Chairman, House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs

Averof Neofytou

Chairman, House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs

Averof Neofytou was born in Argaka, in the District of Paphos, on 31/7/1961. After completing his secondary education at the Gymnasium of Polis Chrysochou, he studied Economics and Accountancy at N.Y.I.T. University, in Long Island, New York. He was district secretary and afterwards vice-president of the Democratic Rally Youth NEDISY. In 1991 was elected as mayor of Polis Chrysochou, a post which he held until 1996 when he was elected DISY MP for Paphos. He served as a member of the Executive Secretariat of the Cyprus Union of Municipalities and president of the Coordinating Committee of the Municipality and Communities of the Chrysochou Area, honorary secretary of the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of the Board of "Evagoras" Sports Club of Paphos, member of the Board and executive of the Cyprus Football Federation and president of the Anti-Cancer Society of the Chrysochou Area. He was appointed minister of Communications and Works on 25 August 1999. He served the Ministry until the 28th of February 2003.

On 25 May 2003 was elected deputy president of the Democratic Rally. On May 2006 and May 2011 was re-elected as member of the House of Representatives. On May 2013 he was elected as the new president of the party, following the election of Mr Nicos Anastasiades to the Presidency of the Republic.

He served as chairman of the Parliamentary committee on Foreign and European Affairs between until 2016 and following his re-election in parliament in May 2016 he is currently serving as the chairman of the Economics and Budget Committee.

He is married to Maria Selipa and has one son, Pericles.

Stelios Himonas

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus

Stelios Himonas

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus

Stelios D. Himonas was born in Athens, Greece, on May 2nd 1962. He received the BE, MS and PhD degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA in 1985, 1986 and 1989, respectively, all in electrical engineering. From 1989 until 1997 he was an associate professor at the department of electrical engineering at the New York Institute of Technology, USA. Also, from 1994 until 1997, he was collaborating with the Multimedia Communications Research Group of Bellcore’s Applied Research Division in Morristown, New Jersey, USA.

Dr Himonas has published numerous research papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings in the fields of detection and multimedia communications. Also, during the period from 1989 until 1997 he served as a reviewer of research papers submitted for publication to transactions of the IEEE and proceedings of the IEE, as well as to various conferences in the field of communications.

Currently he is the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus. Prior to this position he was the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order in Cyprus and the director of the department of electronic communications. In addition, as from October 2012, he is the digital champion of Cyprus, appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus.

Also during the period from 2000 to 2003, he served on the board of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority. From 2006 until 2013, he held chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions in European electronic communications committees.

Dr Himonas is a member of the Sigma Xi and Eta Kappa Nu honor societies and the New York Academy of Sciences. He is listed in the Who is Who in the World, the Who is Who Among Human Services Professionals, the Who is Who in the East and the Who is Who in American Education.

James Ker-Lindsay

Visiting professor, London School of Economics

James Ker-Lindsay

Visiting professor, London School of Economics

James Ker-Lindsay is a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was previously Eurobank senior research fellow on the politics of south-east Europe, and is a research associate at the Centre for International Studies in the department of politics and international relations, Oxford University.

His research is focused on conflict, peace and security in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as on European Union Enlargement, and issues of secession and recognition in international politics. He has published extensively on Cyprus and its politics. His books include The Cyprus Problem: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press), An Island in Europe: The EU and the Transformation of Cyprus (I.B. Tauris, co-edited with Hubert Faustmann and Fiona Mullen), The Government and Politics of Cyprus (Peter Lang, co-edited with Hubert Faustmann), EU Accession and UN Peacemaking in Cyprus (Palgrave Macmillan), and The Work of the UN in Cyprus: Promoting Peace and Development (Palgrave Macmillan, co-edited with Oliver Richmond).

In addition to his academic work, he is a regular media commentator on regional affairs and was the Economist Intelligence Unit correspondent for Cyprus (2001-06). He has also served as an adviser to governments and international organisations, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

George Prevelakis

Professor of geopolitics, Paris I

George Prevelakis

Professor of geopolitics, Paris I

George Prevelakis is professor of geopolitics at the Sorbonne (Paris 1). He specialises in European, Balkan and eastern Mediterranean geopolitics, in diasporas and in physical planning.

After leaving Greece in 1984, he has occupied teaching and research positions in Paris, Baltimore, Boston and London. During the academic years 2003-05 he served as the Constantine Karamanlis chair in Hellenic and south-eastern European studies at the Fletcher School and during the period 2013-15 as the Greek ambassador at the OECD.

Discussion

GREEK-CYPRIOT AND TURKISH-CYPRIOT RELATIONS: WILL BUSINESS BE ABLE TO BRIDGE THE GAP?

Christodoulos Angastiniotis

President, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Christodoulos Angastiniotis

President, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Christodoulos E. Angastiniotis studied business management & management sciences in the UK and holds a postgraduate degree MSc in management from Cranfield University.

He is the CEO and managing director of the VitaTrace Nutrition Ltd Group which is a veterinary nutritional and pharmaceutical company with operations in Cyprus and internationally. The company has received over the years export awards, quality awards and corporate social responsibility awards. Mr Angastiniotis is an exceptionally active businessman with very significant social contribution.

Christodoulos E. Angastiniotis serves or has served as below:
President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2017-20), president of the Cyprus Investment Promotion
Agency (CIPA) (2011-19), vice-president of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2011-17), president of the Nicosia
Tourist Development (2005-14), president of the Pancyprian Association of Veterinary Medicines (2007-13), president of the
Nicosia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (2005-11), founder, president and honourary president of the Cyprus-Egypt Business
Association, member of the board of the Institute of Technology Cyprus, member of the board of the Welfare of Prisoners and member of the board of the Human Resources Development Authority

In 2010 he was awarded by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Standard Authority the highest quality award for his exceptional contribution in upgrading quality in Cyprus.

He has participated in many economic, financial and business promotion seminars abroad, where he has presented a number of papers on the role of Cyprus as a regional, financial and commercial centre.

Turgay Deniz

President, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce

Turgay Deniz

President, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce

Turgay Deniz was born in 1959 in Nicosia. He was student at Köşklüçiftlik Primary School (Şehit Tuncer Primary School) and completed his secondary school and high school education at English College (Türk Maarif Koleji).

In 1980, he completed his bachelor degree at the Faculty of Commercial Sciences at Istanbul Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (Marmara University). M.Kemal Deniz has been working as chairman of the board of directors of Deniz Plaza Company after he finished his military service.

Since 1986, he has been a member of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and member of the board of directors for various periods. Between 1998-2001 he was president of the Youth Power Sports Club.

Harry Tzimitras

Dr Harry Tzimitras is the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo - PRIO Cyprus Centre. In this capacity, he coordinates research and dialogue activities on the search for a political settlement to the island’s division. He is also senior fellow of the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. He is associate professor of international law and international relations, specializing in energy security & geopolitics, the law of the sea, foreign policy, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Previously, he held positions at Istanbul Bilgi University, Koç University, the University of Cambridge and the Institute of International Relations, Athens. His recent publications include A New Initiative for Peace Talks in Cyprus (with A. Gurel), OSCE Yearbook 2017; Energy Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Case of Cyprus (with A. Gurel) in Jalilvand & Westphal (eds.) Changing Dynamics of Energy: Political and Economic Challenges for the MENA-Region, FES & SWP, Routledge 2017; The Need for Realism: Solving the Cyprus Problem through Linkage Politics (with M. Hatay), Brookings Institution, 2016; Cyprus Settlement Negotiations: From Euphoria to Reality (with A. Gurel) Turkish Policy Quarterly 15 (1), 2016; Hydrocarbon Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Case for Pragmatism (in Ellinas & Roberts), Atlantic Council, 2016; Some Preliminary Remarks about the Direction of Turkey-Russia Relations and their Implications for the Cyprus Problem (with A. Gurel), University of St.Gallen, 18 Euxeinos 2015; Gas Can Become the New Lost Opportunity (with A. Gurel) in J. Kerr Lindsay (ed.) Resolving Cyprus: New Approaches to Conflict Resolution, Tauris, 2014.

Speaking opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities

Download Brochure

The Economist Events is a part of the Economist Group. We would love to keep you informed about other Economist events, newly-released content, our best subscription offers, and great new product offerings from The Economist Group.

I wish to be contacted by email.

I also wish to sign up to the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Perspectives newsletter.

The Economist Group is a global organisation and operates a strict privacy policy around the world. Please see our privacy policy here

Attending Request

By submitting this form we will send you updates associated with this event.

The Economist Events is a part of the Economist Group. We would love to keep you informed about other Economist events, newly-released content, our best subscription offers, and great new product offerings from The Economist Group.

I wish to be contacted by email.

I also wish to sign up to the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Perspectives newsletter.

The Economist Group is a global organisation and operates a strict privacy policy around the world. Please see our privacy policy here

Media partnership and press Request

By submitting this form we will send you updates associated with this event.

The Economist Events is a part of the Economist Group. We would love to keep you informed about other Economist events, newly-released content, our best subscription offers, and great new product offerings from The Economist Group.

I wish to be contacted by email.

I also wish to sign up to the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Perspectives newsletter.

The Economist Group is a global organisation and operates a strict privacy policy around the world. Please see our privacy policy here